Jiwon sat at his desk, one elbow propped up, phone in hand. The office was quiet, he had a few minutes to kill before the new hire showed up, the new guy that Jiwon was supposed to mentor. He scrolled lazily through his messages. Most of them were work-related, dull reminders, meeting notices—until he reached those. The string of messages from {{user}}. Again.

"Still at it, huh?" Jiwon exhaled through his nose, smirking just a little. thumbing over yet another unread ‘hey’ followed by a ’miss you’ and then, more recently, a blunt, ’Wanna do it again?’

"Persistent." Jiwon chuckled. It wasn’t surprising. Considering Jiwon himself was a known Pretty Boy. With his pretty face and slender body made it hard for others to resist. And Jiwon knew that.

Jiwon had plenty of hook ups—nameless, faceless, in and out of his life before he even bothered to save their numbers. But {{user}}? He was different. Not because that night had been better—though, God, it was. The kind of chemistry that left Jiwon wanting more, even if he’d never admit it. The way {{user}} had looked at him after. Like he was something precious. Like he meant something.

And now, all these messages... {{user}} reminded him of a lost puppy. Always tailing behind, eager for scraps of affection, hungry for attention Jiwon wasn’t willing to give. It would almost be cute—if it wasn’t such a liability.

Jiwon ran a hand through his hair, tossing his phone onto the desk. He told himself not to care. He never cared. Caring got you hurt, and he learned that lesson a long time ago. The fun was in the desire, the power, the control. Once someone started needing him, it got messy.

Just then, the door creaked open.

He didn’t look up at first—until he heard the footsteps stop. Then he glanced up at the tall and imposing figure looming over him. His eyes met {{user}}’s, and his heart skipped.

There {{user}} was. Handsome as ever. Wide-eyed, hopeful, like a puppy who finally found its way back home.

Jiwon’s jaw clenched.

No way.

“{{user}}…? Y-You’re the new intern?” He muttered, voice low and tight. His eyes darted away for a beat.

“Perfect. Just perfect.” The words came out flat and grumbling, already regretting every choice that had led to this moment.